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Patti Waldmeir

Patti Waldmeir

Financial Times

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A liberal Chicago suburb is paying reparations — will others follow?

Evanston set up a fund to compensate Black citizens for residential racism, and has since expanded it

30.09.2025 4

Financial Times

Patti Waldmeir

Chicago and the fight over the National Guard

Residents debate whether Trump’s threatened deployment would really help bring down violence

16.09.2025 3

Financial Times

Patti Waldmeir

Great Lakes ghost ships emerge, courtesy of the quagga mussel

Normally placid, these are among the most deadly waters in the world

02.09.2025 5

Financial Times

Patti Waldmeir

Trump’s supporters keep the faith six months on

Among pulled-pork trucks and Maga merchandise stalls, the mood is jubilant at the Illinois State Fair

19.08.2025 5

Financial Times

Patti Waldmeir

Is the firefly’s dusk show about to be dimmed?

The loss of habitats and 24-hour lighting may be threatening the magic of the lightning bug

05.08.2025 5

Financial Times

Patti Waldmeir

Trump’s Medicaid cuts hit the wrong target

Work requirements for vulnerable people, gig workers and the self-employed won’t save much and deter genuine claimants

21.07.2025 9

Financial Times

Patti Waldmeir

Electric boat enthusiasts navigate uncharted waters

The emissions-friendly watercraft industry is struggling to bring recreational sailors and freighters on board

07.07.2025 6

Financial Times

Patti Waldmeir

Travel outside your political tribe? Many are saying ‘no thanks’

From boycotting Texas to picking red cruises, Americans are increasingly self-segregating when travelling

24.06.2025 4

Financial Times

Patti Waldmeir

Gambling has never been easier in the US — that’s a problem

The rise in sports betting and online gaming is taking a toll on Americans

02.06.2025 10

Financial Times

Patti Waldmeir

Trump’s ‘self-deportation’ plan is put to the test

The US administration’s Project Homecoming underestimates the appeal of America

19.05.2025 9

Financial Times

Patti Waldmeir

The great soap opera inheritance

The launch of the first new show in the genre in the US in 25 years shows the endurance of steamy melodrama

05.05.2025 10

Financial Times

Patti Waldmeir

Illinois farmers focus on planting rather than Trump tariffs

Veterans of the trade wars, they know a great deal could change before the harvest

21.04.2025 7

Financial Times

Patti Waldmeir

Midwest turns to snow farming to save the winter sports

The climate change threat to skiing, ice fishing and dog sledding demands creative solutions

09.04.2025 7

Financial Times

Patti Waldmeir

Wisconsin Supreme Court race is the first electoral test for Trump

The race has become a proxy battle between those who love and hate the president

24.03.2025 10

Financial Times

Patti Waldmeir

The red counties that want to split from blue Illinois

Almost a third of the state’s counties have voted to investigate leaving

10.03.2025 20

Financial Times

Patti Waldmeir

A US-Canadian border friendship feels the strain

Relations between Detroit and Windsor, joined by a cross-border tunnel, are being marred by Trump’s threats

26.02.2025 3

Financial Times

Patti Waldmeir

The growing problem of child homelessness in the US

Many feel forced to hide their status through shame or fear of being taken into care

10.02.2025 7

Financial Times

Patti Waldmeir

The great American alcohol debate

New research and changing social attitudes may usher in a low-booze era in the US

30.12.2024 6

Financial Times

Patti Waldmeir

The migrants who face becoming political pawns again

Many of those bussed in by the Texas governor have been absorbed by Chicago but could now have their lives upturned again

24.12.2024 7

Financial Times

Patti Waldmeir

American homes get ready for a Christmas light bonanza

The annual holiday-display-synchronised-to-Jingle-Bells version of retail therapy turns out to be inflation proof

09.12.2024 4

Financial Times

Patti Waldmeir

What the US can learn from ‘Wicked’

Glinda and Elphaba’s journey to friendship offers guidance for a fractured America

25.11.2024 5

Financial Times

Patti Waldmeir

Like Michigan, the US is neither red nor blue

It is difficult to see the upcoming poll settling things definitively anywhere in the country

30.10.2024 2

Financial Times

Patti Waldmeir

Migratory birds fly into a miasma of human making

This year the migration of the Midwest’s rich avian life has been visibly disrupted — but treats for the enthusiast remain

21.10.2024 4

Financial Times

Patti Waldmeir

Wisconsin’s vote on the edge as immigrant scare stories spread

In the final leg of the US election campaign, even the quietest towns are being dragged into the border war

14.10.2024 10

Financial Times

Patti Waldmeir

Fears for Little League baseball in the US as children’s sport commercialises

Traditional neighbourhood games are losing out as youth sport becomes a multibillion-dollar industry

30.09.2024 2

Financial Times

Patti Waldmeir

Why childcare in the US is a problem for us all

This is not just an issue for parents — employers need to be part of the solution

16.09.2024 4

Financial Times

Patti Waldmeir

Americans are losing faith in four-year college degrees

Education experts say the decline in enrolment is spurred by a falling birth rate and student debt crisis

02.09.2024 3

Financial Times

Patti Waldmeir

Pressure to ban mobile phones in America’s schools intensifies

Restrictions on the use of devices have been shown to improve students’ performance

19.08.2024 2

Financial Times

Patti Waldmeir

Are we fooling ourselves that owning a dog is good for us?

Conventional wisdom may say animals make us healthier and happier but research differs

05.08.2024 5

Financial Times

Patti Waldmeir